Cold calling has been a very important part of the sales process for many years. In this blog post, we will explore some interesting points that can be learned from cold calling, and how you can use them to become more successful in your own business ventures.
Cold calling is one of the most intimidating things you can do as a salesperson. It's uncomfortable, it never feels right, and you're always wondering if the person on the other end will just hang up on you.
But cold calling doesn't have to be so bad!
In this blog post we are going to discuss what cold calling is, example of cold calling, how it works, best cold call opening lines, why it's important for your business development strategy, some tips for successful calls and examples of cold calling opening lines that might work in any situation!
The solicitation of a potential customer who has not previously interacted with a salesperson is known as cold calling (occasionally written with a hyphen).
Cold calling, a type of telemarketing, is one of the oldest and most prevalent ways for salespeople to advertise themselves.
Warm calling, on the other hand, is the solicitation of a customer who has expressed an interest in the firm or product in the past.
Cold calling is when you call people out of the blue to try and sell them something.
Usually it's not personal, in most cases these are qualified leads that have been passed down from your marketing team or through a referral source.
"Hi Mr. Jones? This is Brian with ABC Company."
"This isn't Mr. Jones, this is his wife."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that! May I please speak with him?"
The example above illustrates how cold calling might go wrong on first contact so it's important to be prepared and know what you are going to say next before picking up the phone.
So how can you make cold calling work for your sales strategy? Well, it all comes down to preparation. Before picking up the phone and dialing a number you should have an example of successful cold call scripts that will help get someone on the phone or at least set up an appointment.
You might also want to keep some good examples of cold calling opening lines handy in case you get nervous or forget what to say.
Cold calling is a sales method in which a salesman approaches people who have never demonstrated interest in the items or services being provided.
Cold calling is most commonly associated with phone or telemarketing solicitation, but it can also include in-person contact, such as with door-to-door salespeople.
Cold-call salespeople that succeed should be persistent and willing to face rejection. They should fully prepare by analysing the demographics of their prospects and the market in order to be effective.
Consumers respond to cold calling in a variety of ways, including acceptance, call terminations or hang-ups, and even verbal attacks. Even for a qualified professional, marketing analysts estimate that cold calling has a success rate of only 2%.
According to this projection, only 5 out of every 250 calls will be successful. A warm call salesman, on the other hand, has a far higher success rate of around 30%.
Cold calling has becoming less desirable as technology progresses. Email, SMS, and social media marketing through venues like Facebook and Twitter are among the newer, more successful prospecting tactics available.
These new tactics are typically more efficient and effective at generating new leads than cold calling.
The latest innovation in cold calling is robo-dialing (robocalling), in which algorithms automatically dial and produce pre-recorded messages.
Cold callers' efforts to reach out to potential clients in bulk have been hampered by government laws such as the National Do Not Call Registry.
Cold calling is a technique used by brokers in the finance business to acquire new clients.
Consider the movie "Boiler Room," in which a crowded room of stockbrokers calls names from a paper list in the hopes of pitching them on esoteric companies.
Cold calling is shown in the film as a numbers game. Rejections outnumber acceptances for the brokers. Cold calling is rarely used by those who land big transactions.
We've compiled cold calling scripts from some of our best sales tools, like Rain Sales Training and First Round Review, to help you figure out what to say to prospects. These scripts cover a wide range of topics, so you'll be prepared for any cold-calling scenario.
1. Gauge interest before diving in
I'm David from [COMPANY NAME], and I'd like to introduce myself to [PROSPECT NAME]. How are you doing?
We're working on some solutions to assist you in recruiting and training new marketing team members. Is that anything you'd like to find out more about?
(The prospect responds affirmatively.)
Companies can collaborate with us in one of two ways. We can assist you in finding new marketing talent for a portion of their basic salary, or we can assist you in training new members of your marketing team without the use of online virtual digital marketing training programmes.
These programmes teach your new team members the ins and outs of digital marketing and provide your employees the freedom to choose the channels they want to learn about. Which of these do you want to learn more about?
(The prospect selects the option that interests them.)
Great. Before we begin, I have a few questions that I need to ask. Is that acceptable?
(If the prospect replies yes, you ask pre-determined qualifying questions to determine which features of your products and programmes to highlight in your sales presentation.)
I'll tell you a little more, and then we can set up a time to go over our solution in greater depth before we complete the call today. Does that appeal to you?
2. Expect to be on time.
Let the prospect know how long you expect the conversation to last right at the start of the call.
Prospects will be more inclined to commit to the call if they know how long the pitch will go. To avoid losing the prospect's trust, make sure you stay to the time restriction you set.
This script begins with a two-minute time estimate.
Have I caught you at an appropriate time, [PROSPECT NAME], as a sample cold calling script? (If they accept): Thank you very much. I'd like to take two minutes to explain why I dialled your number.
If you have any questions at the end of the two minutes, I'd be happy to answer them. If you don't want to, you can just let me go. Okay?
(If the prospect agrees):
That's great. I contacted because I saw your website and saw that you were hiring salespeople.
It can be difficult to FIND the appropriate people in the first place, and then to KEEP them on board once you have them.
We have a somewhat better than 90% success rate in assisting our clients hire sales professionals who become top-tier producers within the first year, thanks to our experience (using our proprietary software) and the skill of the people we engage to complete all preliminary screening.
Successful salespeople, as you might expect, prefer to stay in one place for a long time. Do you have a structure in place to help you recruit the salespeople you need to meet your company's demand?
Determine the prospect's most pressing issue.
Begin your pitch by inquiring about the prospect's problems. You'll be able to pinpoint particular ways in which your product can assist this prospect and adjust your sales pitch accordingly.
The salesperson in the following script begins by inquiring about the prospect's problems. Later, the representative explains how the product might be able to help them with their specific problem.
Script for cold calling
Hello, Erin. My name is John, and I work for [COMPANY NAME]. We're a brand templating platform that enables B2B businesses to swiftly produce excellent sales collateral. I'm calling to see whether we may be of assistance to your firm.
What do you think your biggest obstacles are when it comes to making sure your sales staff has the content and materials they need to persuade leads?
I understand the reason of your dissatisfaction.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears that your staff is having difficulty locating the appropriate materials to finish deals.
Getting the collateral you need to close a sale can be difficult, especially when you don't have the resources on hand, and many of our clients face this challenge.
Now that I think about it, we work with a few companies that are similar to yours.
Most people find our platform to be simple to use, and the template gallery cuts down on production time and puts content creation in the hands of your sales staff, allowing them to focus on collecting the best material for their clients. Do you have similar platforms or services in place?
Benefits of the product should be highlighted.
Give examples of how your product or service alleviates a problem. Use current customer data to identify typical pain areas that prospects face, for example.
Review buyer personas and their associated pain areas as well. To determine which product aspects to discuss, match prospects to each character.
This cold calling script emphasises three important benefits provided by the sales rep's firm.
Script for cold calling
My name is John Smith, and I work at [COMPANY NAME], which is a [INSERT COMPANY TYPE].
We've been scheduling short phone calls to introduce ourselves and exchange information on best practises.
1. Safeguarding their global shipping operations and maintaining a steady cash flow
2. Connecting all [BLANK] disciplines to achieve maximum efficiencies
3. Using to differentiate yourself from the competition and get market share
Do you have 30 minutes this week to talk more about these advantages?
Showcase what sets you apart from the competition.
Include essential factors that distinguish you from your competitors. Know your competition so you can counter with rebuttals and show off what sets you apart.
However, always respect your competitors—prospects may have used them in the past (or are using them now)—and employ consultative selling.
The script below demonstrates how to respond to queries regarding how you stack up against the competition.
Script for cold calling
If a prospect inquires, "Is this similar to [COMPETITOR NAME]?"
Oh! You've heard of [COMPETITOR NAME].
TalentBin is comparable, but it was the industry's first pioneer—with the greatest functionality, the best data sources, and the most automation—which is why it has received the most industry plaudits and honours!
Given your familiarity with the area, it appears that a demonstration would be highly beneficial for you to round up your understanding.
Are you available for a 30-minute demo on [DAY] or [DAY] next week? It will be well worth it, I assure you.
Testimonials and reviews, as well as social proof, are powerful sales tools. According to Nielsen, 70% of respondents believe strangers' internet consumer opinions. Sales psychology is quite straightforward.
The following cold calling script shows current customers who utilise the product being sold and are comparable to the prospect.
"Hey there!" is an example of a cold call script. Here's where [SALES REP NAME] from [COMPANY NAME] comes in.
You're getting a call from me today because it appears that your company values providing honest, excellent customer service.
That's what we're all about at [COMPANY NAME]. Customers like [Customer 1] and [Customer 2], as well as [Social media proof], back us up.
After implementing with us, these firms often see [Results] (consider prospect needs/wants, such as improved sales, cost savings, etc.) within [Time].
[First name of the prospect], I'd be delighted to speak with you about your specific requirements and present resources.
In addition, I have an idea for how to [Result]. If it's more convenient for you, call me at [Number], or reply to the email I'll send you. Thanks!”
Ninety-two percent of people believe peer referrals. By sharing the experiences of people they know, you can pique prospects' interest in what you have to say.
This template not only highlights the benefits, but it also includes the referrer's name. The rewards are more relevant with this technique because the prospect knows the referrer and hopefully respects their judgement.
Script for cold calling
Greetings, [PROSPECT NAME],
[NAME OF REFERRER] and I are now experiencing fantastic success with [YOUR COMPANY'S] marketing and sales force automation, and while discussing who else could benefit, your name came up.
Congratulations on your new acquisition/investment/[ACHIEVEMENT]. It's fantastic what you're doing at [PROSPECT COMPANY]!
I'd like to show you how we assisted [NAME OF REFERRER] in generating [RESULT] and how we might be able to assist you as well. Is this something you'd be interested in?
Cold calling scripts are a fantastic approach to introduce your items to potential customers in a courteous and informative manner. To avoid worries, start by meticulously following the templates.
Take note of the language that seems to resonate well with the prospects you call as you become more comfortable. As you tweak your scripts, you'll notice that your cold calls result in more qualified leads.
